


Safe

by Laylah



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Getting Together, HSWC Bonus Round, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-22
Updated: 2014-05-22
Packaged: 2018-01-26 03:23:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1672859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laylah/pseuds/Laylah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remember that time when Aradia took Eridan on a spelunking expedition?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe

"Is that a euphemism?" you'd asked, not because you really thought it was likely but because habits are hard to cull and besides one day you'll get lucky, you will.

And Aradia laughed at you, but not the mean kind of laughing, more just the kind where she's having too much fun and you're in on it with her. "No, silly. So don't wear your nice clothes!"

As if you got any clothes that aren't nice. But you do your best to get into the spirit of the thing, and you wear stuff you're kinda sick of, so you won't be too fussed if it gets ripped or grubby or what have you. You think maybe the way her skirts are all tattered is on account of her hobbies instead of just thinking daywalkers are a source of fashion inspiration. Maybe you should get her some nicer things. Maybe that's coming on too strong.

She flies the both of you out to some remote cave she's found, and you maybe play up how nervous you are so she'll hold your hand instead of just sweeping you along with her powers. Her hand is warm and rough, and you don't really want to let go when you land.

Being clingy never really helped you out before, though. "So what are we here for?" you ask to distract yourself as you deliberately let go and take a step away.

Aradia gives you that bright fearless grin that gives you feelings entirely inappropriate for royalty. "You'll see!" she says, and it's _see_ , not _sea_ , and you mostly don't even feel funny behind the ribs.

You sweep her a bow. "After you, then, madam."

It's really good you're not wearing your best clothes. You follow Aradia down into the caves, into these cramped passageways where there's barely enough room to squeeze by, where either it's dry and the stone leaves little crumbles of dirt on you or it's wet and the dirt goes all muddy. It's so dark Aradia's using a little portable illumination device to find her way.

At one of the intersections in the tunnel a few stray pebbles tumble down from the ceiling and you make the mistake of thinking about just how much rock you're standing under. "This isn't safe," you say, and you mean it to sound like the reasonable objection it is but you come out sounding a mite squeaky.

"Nothing is safe," Aradia says. But then she turns and looks at you. "But don't worry. If there's a cave-in, I'll protect you."

Your bloodpusher does a thing that's totally unauthorized.

"This way!" Aradia turns back to the path ahead. "Almost there."

You swallow hard. "Followin' your lead," you say.

She leads you down through more twisted passageways, and the stone is slick-wet more often than not as you head downward. The air is cool and comfortable, and if it weren't for the lack of salt it'd smell like home. In place of salt you get her, and you think that's a good trade.

"Here." Aradia ducks under a low spot in the tunnel and you follow her into open, echoing space. She swings the light around slowly so you can see: time-striped pillars of wet stone, and the carvings worked into them, the indents where something else used to be set into the base material. The statues of some ancient trolls on the far side of the room. The pool of dark water between you and them.

"Upright gorgeous, Ar," you tell her.

She fucking _beams_. "I knew you would like it!" Which is already flattering enough, that she'd find something like this and trust you to appreciate it with her, and then she goes on, "So do you want to help me excavate? It'd be really helpful to have someone with your diving skill exploring the parts I can't get to."

You bite your lip, decide to risk it. "Long as I could keep counting on your protection while I'm all distracted," you say.

Aradia already wasn't far off, and with the step she takes toward you now you can feel her body heat. "Any time," she says. "You're a little slow on the uptake sometimes, huh?" 

She puts her hand right on your cheek.

"I guess, I guess maybe I am," you say, but you open your arms, hoping you're reading this right. Aradia slides right into the space they make, wraps her arms around your middle, and tucks her head under your chin.

It's dark as hell in here, but you feel like you've just been filled up with pale and perfect light.


End file.
